Abe Reybold, now a Birmingham resident, was once a professional actor in the Big Apple and even appeared next to Donny Osmond in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

Reybold has directed for the last 10 years and took some time from rehearsals yesterday to tell us about his transition from professional actor to director, how he got involved with Theatre Tuscaloosa and his talented young cast.

Coti Howell: How did you get involved with Theatre Tuscaloosa?

Abe Reybold: I live and do a lot of theater work in Birmingham, Ala. Tina Turley, who's the artistic director, has done some work there and has seen some of my work, some of the productions that I directed. Through mutual friends, we got to know each other and she has, for a while now, been trying to get me down here for a project. This is the one that worked out.

CH: So "Godspell" wasn't necessarily chosen by you then?

AR: No. We started talking about titles about six months ago when she was planning her season. This was one of the ones that came up that we both were kind of like "Oh, that would be a good one."

CH: Before you started directing, you were primarily an actor, right?

AR: I was an actor for many years. I started directing maybe 10 years ago but before that I lived in New York City and was a professional actor for close to 18 years.

CH: How was that transition from acting to directing?

AR: Well, it was something that I knew I always wanted to do but I didn't know how to go about doing it and I had such a passion for performing. What I realized was that, working with all these great directors and theaters all over the country and on Broadway, I got the experience that I could have never gotten in a training program. It was on the job training so it was pretty great and then I realized that if I wanted to make this happen I was going to have to make this happen myself. So I stopped auditioning and put my name out there and started working my way up.

CH: Are there challenges you face with directing that you don't as an actor?

AR: With acting, you worry about you and with directing you worry about the entire piece- everything. For me, I enjoy directing more because it uses so much more of my brain and there's a little bit of repetition in acting. With directing, it never feels repetitious. It's like being a coach and being a parent and being all kinds of things rolled into one and motivating people and also keeping your eye on the big picture the whole time.

CH: When you first made the transition to directing, what was that first production you directed?

AR: The first show that I directed was a musical called "Pete 'n Keely" in Portland, Oregon for producers that I still go out and work for now and that was 10 years ago actually. Not soon after that I did "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." I pretty much specialize in musicals. That's my thing.

CH: How does this production of "Godspell" compare with those early musicals and any others you've directed?

AR: This is a really fascinating and fun piece to do because it's an ensemble show, 10 people that are on stage the entire time. It's a lot of singing and dancing and the way we tell the parables and the gospels they're acted out as well. To me it feels like one continuous dance for two hours so it's really challenging and fun.

CH: Have you encountered any challenges with this production?

AR: Not really. It's been a pretty easy process from the beginning. I have a great cast that is throwing themselves into this with abandon and they get along really well which is really one of the essences of the show. It's about a family, a community, being created before our eyes. I'd say the challenge is trying not to cry the last 10 minutes of the show.CH: How are you feeling about opening night?

AR: There's always a little bit of nerves and excitement all in one. A friend of mine who's a director always says, "Oh it's always like Christmas Eve because you work so hard and you sweat and there's things you're working on up to the last minute and you wake up and it's Christmas morning and all the presents are there and you get to open it." So it's like a big gift, hopefully.